A Bay of Islands sightseeing operator is launching a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign to get Aucklanders to knock off work early on Fridays and head north.
Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands' campaign, Freedom Fridays, is aimed at attracting more weekend visitors from south of the Brynderwyns.
Launched this week, Freedom Fridays
is based on a survey commissioned by Fullers GreatSights that found 83 per cent of workers who took part believed finishing work early on a Friday would decrease stress levels and increase workplace morale; 70 per cent admitted to being easily distracted by non-work activities on a Friday afternoon and 51 per cent owned up to giving priority to their social arrangements over work tasks on a Friday afternoon.
"We're hoping that as a result of this campaign we will see more Aucklanders jump in their cars and head to the Bay of Islands for the weekend," said Charles Parker, general manager of Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands.
Kerikeri District Business Association president Jason Vokes said all local tourism businesses would benefit from Fullers' campaign. "It's fantastic to see a private enterprise making a significant investment in growing visitor numbers not only for their business but for the entire region."